The Golden Cube
by DragonkeymasterII
Summary: Jacob and Edward arrive in Forks prematurely, brought by the summons of their golden cubes. What does it mean for Jacob and Edward and Bella and Forks and Seattle?
1. Chapter 1

Jacob and Edward met in a small clearing in the woods out of earshot of the city. They had to take a moment aside for their intense conversation. They sat in silence for a moment. Neither of them wanted to speak first. Finally, Jacob worked up the courage.

"So Edward, do you know what this means?"

"Yes Jacob. I do."

"Good. Are you ready?"

"I think so. There is nothing holding me back except my own inhibitions."

Jacob reached into his shirt pocked and took out his golden cube. Slightly more reluctantly Edward pulled out his.

Jacob started the sacred Native American chant. Edward did not know it so he hummed along. The cubes began to glow. They were just as bright as the sunlight shining down on the ground they were sitting on. Jacob and Edward could barely bear to look.

The clearing exploded in golden light just as bright as the sun. As quickly as it had started it ended and there was nothing but the sunlight.

"Is it over?" Edward asked Jacob.

"Yes. It is over Edward." Said Jacob with finality.

The two parted and disappeared back into normal life; as normal as life can be for ones of their kind.

*KNOCK KNOCK* "BELLA. Time to get up or you will be late for school."

"Ugh" she groaned, unable to manage more than one word at this moment, which had come to be like many others.

With great effort she rose from the bed and trudged down the stairs. Her father had already made the coffee. It always tasted like dirt to Bella. She longed for sweet tea in the morning but her father always had to make coffee so that he could endure his long and busy days at work as a police man. Something was always going on, no matter which town they were in.

"Dad, why are we living in Forks?"

He sipped his coffee then looked at Bella. "You don't like forks?"

She sighed. "Nothing ever happens here. It's so boring. I want to go back."

"We can't go back Bella. Our lives live here. No point living in the past. We are moving forward with our lives."

Bella sighed as she finished her coffee. She brushed her teeth, hating herself as she looked in the mirror. "I am not pretty" she thought. "How could anything think that I am pretty? I am not thin and blonde. My eyes are not blue like the sky on a sunny day. My skin is pale but not perfect. I'm so ugly."

She spat out her toothpaste and turned away. Before she could look a second time she ran out the door. She dreaded every day. They only gave her challenges and reasons to be sad and angry. This day, she was certain, would be no different.


	2. Chapter 2

Bella walked to school as she always did. The Fall leaves were falling. She did not like the Fall weather. It depressed her so. She only wanted for it to be sunny like her old home. This was not to be. The Pacific Northwest is far less sunny than Arizona. It did not suit her well, but it is conducive to other forms of life and otherwise.

Every person she passed seemed so soulless. No matter how long she stared it was as if she did not exist to them. No one would even give her an unfriendly look. Was she really a person, or was she a ghost? The question burned inside of her.

After a very long walk, she took her seat in her first class of the day. Everyone around her knew at least one other person. She was the only one who was all alone. After an eternal wait, the teacher came in. She was medium-height, no taller than 5'7" with long straight white hair, and long white fingers to match. She examined the class through the thin lenses of her black-framed glasses.

"Good morning students!"

She broke the silence with a greeting that did not match her appearance. She sounded almost lively. Everyone was paying attention; Even Bella, who had by now grown slightly cynical.

"Today we have a new student. Her name is Isabella Swan. Ms. Swan, please stand up."

Oh no! The moment she had dreaded was here! With her legs trembling, she stood for all to see her. She was not a ghost after all. She was indeed a girl. As of this moment, everyone in the class knew this.

"Miss Swan just arrived in town last week. Today is her first day at this school. Please make her feel welcome. I hope you can all appreciate how difficult it is to start all over at a new school. Thank you, Isabella. Please sit down."

The lesson was long and boring. The teacher lectured for the whole time about local Native American tribes. This did not interest her. No. She longed to hear about the great stories of Europe in the Dark Ages, with misty castles and men with cloaks. Oh well.

The bell rang and everyone got up to leave. Bella was happy to go, but the teacher was waiting for her by the door.

"Miss Swan!"

She was startled. What could the teacher possibly want from her?

"Yes Mrs…" she replied, confused.

"Ravensberg. May I speak with you in private?"

"Umm… sure, Mrs Ravensberg."

Once the last student had left, Mrs. Ravensberg shut the door. Its thud against the frame echoed throughout the silent classroom. They were together. Alone.


	3. Chapter 3

"Isabella Swan? That's your name?"

She nodded in agreement. That was indeed correct.

"So what brings you to Forks?"

This was a difficult question. Bella tried to find the words, but her teacher could tell that the question was a difficult one.

"I see" the teacher continued. "This is an unfortunate time though. I saw something in you in this past hour."

Bella gulped. What could this be?

"During the lesson you looked as if you didn't understand my lesson. Can you tell me what you learned today?"

"Umm…" she stammered. The teacher didn't need to wait for an answer. Mrs. Ravensberg knew exactly how much her new student had retained: nothing. Not one single fact or date about the local Native American people.

"Isabella, the local Natives are very important people. You must appreciate this."

"I do but…"

"But what? You don't find them interesting enough? Fine. I'll see what I can do to make you find them interesting enough."

She took her cell phone from her pocked and dialled a numbed. After two rings, Bella could tell that there had been a connection on the other end.

"Hello. Yes, this is Mrs. Ravensberg. Hi Jacob. I have a new student for you to take under your wing…"


	4. Chapter 4

The conversation ended as soon as it had begun. With a sharp "Thank you" she closed her Samsung flip phone, and turned to Bella.

"Miss Swan, your new teacher will arrive shortly. He will be the one who teaches you all about local Native American culture. If I cannot make the message _sink in_ then I certainly hope Mr Black will be able to. Goodbye."

Before Bella could respond, she turned her back and walked out, locking the door behind her. Bella was alone. For now.

She sat in her spot beside the teacher's desk and though to herself. What had she done wrong? Had any other students been given a different teacher? Was she so stupid that she needed remedial lessons? That seemed most likely. She often had difficulty putting her thoughts into order, and such thoughts were usually about superficial things.

Through the cracks in the door she could hear someone from outside: footsteps and then the rattling of keys. The door was opening. It swung fast on its hinges. Standing there was a very handsome boy with black hair. He couldn't have been older than 18.

"Hello. I am Jacob Black. You must be Isabella Swan."

He extended his hand to her. She took it, cautiously. Everyone in this town seemed so untrustworthy. But this Jacob Black seemed less so. Maybe he would be different from all of the other Forkers.

"Bella. Swan" she replied nervously. He smiled, ready to teach.

"I hear you didn't like the lecture. That's ok. A lot of students don't. But you still need to learn."

"Come with me. I'll show you what my… _people _are like."

With that he led her out of the classroom and back into the real world.


	5. Chapter 5

Jacob opened the door to his car and let Bella in the passenger side. He got in the driver side himself. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the road. There were not many streets in Forks. Soon they were outside of Forks and driving towards some place Bella did not know.

"Mr Black-"

"Call me Jacob."

"Jacob."

"Yes?"

"Where are we going?"

"We are going to where my people live?"

"How do your people live? Do they live like I do?"

"Sometimes yes and sometimes no." He said. Bella was not satisfied. Her question had not been answered.

He turned down a rural, unpaved road. The shade from the trees shaded the car. The car came to a clearing with a long house made of long wooden planks. Sitting around a fire there were a number of men wearing no shirts. They were all quite muscular. Bella had to admire them even though that is not what they were there to do.

Jacob parked the car and opened his door and got out. Bella got out too. Jacob called to the other men and they one of them came over.

"Bella, this is Embry."

"Pleased to meet you Embry. Jacob, what am I doing here?"

"Bella, we are Natives. Remember? My people? Here. Let us all go into the long house and I can show you the sacred rituals."

They all gasped. "The sacred rituals?"

"Fellow tribesmen" Jacob addressed them, "It is time we showed the outside world what we are. We are not barbarians like they all think."

The other tribesmen were convinced and they all walked into the longhouse to begin the sacred rituals.


	6. Chapter 6

Bella went with the Natives into the Long House to begin the sacred rituals. The Long House was very long, much longer than it was wide. The door was at one narrow end. At the other end The Chief sat on his Grand Throne of Oak and Silver. He was a tall thin man with no beard and long black hair.

"That's our chief" Jacob whispered to Bella. "He hasn't moved for 42 years."

"Then how does he go to the bathroom?" Bella asked.

Before Jacob could answer, the Chief took a long wooden staff and, holding it upright, banged the bottom end twice on the ground. Everyone fell silent. The Chief spoke in a Native language that Bella did not know but the tribe members understood every word and nodded. When he was finished, he cleared his throat and beckoned to two muscular tribe members. They brought fourth a live pig. It struggled against the men and squealed to no avail. They brought it before The Chief. He said an invocation, too quiet for Bella to hear, then opened his mouth and ripped out the pig's throat with his teeth. Blood spilled onto the ground as the pig went limp.

Bella was in shock. Jacob was enjoying the ritual quite thoroughly.

"So Bella what do you think?" Jacob asked, excitedly.

"That was barbaric."

"Barbaric? I'll have you know that that was the cleanest kill he has done in 2 weeks!"

"You walk around without shirts! You all cheer when your leader rips out a pig's throat with his teeth! What the fuck is wrong- oh barbecue!"

Sure enough, the pig had been put on the fire and was cooking up a wonderful aroma. This was something Bella could understand. She and Jacob walked over to the fireside and waited in anticipation for their meal. Once the cooking had finished, Bella was given the infamous Guest's Special. Though it was unlike any restaurant special she had ever eaten.

"Jacob?"

"mmmm?" He responded through a mouth-full of blood and meat.

"What is this?"

Jacob gulped. "That is the intestine, Bella."

"Intestine? Who eats intestine?"

"It is what we give to guests."

"Why do you give guests intestines? That's just gross."

"Gross? Bella you eat them with your sausages every night."

Bella had had enough. She stood up and flung her Guest's Special into the fire.

"YOU GUYS ARE ALL FREAKS!"

The festivities went silent. Even The Chief looked in her direction, stunned.

"Freaks?" asked the Chief. "You think we are freaks? Well then. Maybe we can show you just how freakish we are."

Just as he had done for the pig, he beckoned for the two muscular men.


End file.
